Elder Luke Christensen **** Huancayo Peru Mission: Week 1 from the CCM in Lima

Hola everybody. This is Elder Christensen writing this from the ccm in Peru. haha This has been the wierdest week of my life. I really haven't even slept since I've been here. The food isn't that good, but the rice isn't bad. We arrived at the ccm at like 4 in the morning on wednesday and I only slept for like 2 hours. That day was the longest day of my life. It was fun but it literally felt like it was a week long day! haha I know that this sounds a little nutz but I actually like it here. I dont think that I could deal with being here for longer than six weeks, and it has only been a week and a day since I left home. It is true that the days are long and the weeks are short.

The kids here are like some of the funniest and greatest people ever. I havent stopped laughing. It is way hard to stay awake in class, but I still have a great time here. I am awful at spanish but I am starting to get better at ccm Spanish that spanish is the spanish that a 3 year old latino can speak haha, but it is coming along, I can understand quite alot of it but I have no clue how to put a sentence together so I sound like a goon when I speak.

We went to the immigration center like last friday or something and these Peruanos are the craziest drivers. I for some reason got to sit in the passanger seat in the bus on the way there, and it didnt have a front window and I was right above the bumper like an old volkswagon bus. We litteraly got inches away maybe even a half an inch somtimes. I could reach out in front of me and touch the car that was directly in front cause there was not a windshield. There arent any traffic laws so it is flipping nuts in the streets, but somehow there are never accidents that happen, and its very weird.

I play soccer every time that I have the chance to play and I have more goals than anyone that has been in the ccm longer than me. No one knows how to play but its super fun. We got to watch the Joseph Smith story like the hour long one we watched in Nauvoo, and the biggest answer came to me. I dont have time to tell you now but I know this church is true. I mean how can it not be. We also watched 17 Miracles and that is one of the best movies ever. I love it even more and more everytime that I watch it. I went to the temple this morning and it was nothing like when I went in Nauvoo. Maybe it was because I had to do it with a headset. It was a super fun time and then we went and got some Inca Kola. and wow it is so much better in this little ol place.

My companion is from Brigham City and hes a cool dude. Me and the other elders just kinda mess around alot but we also learn more than the others in class. Im about to play the ccm President in ping pong and see if i can beat him because apparenty he never has lost here then I'm gonna go play some soccer. Oh and we went to interpol which was just some way sketchy place that they do like fingerprints and thats how we get our visas. While we were there were like 15 cats and all of them looked like Dovey (kaitlins and corys cat) they were very creepy but some were super cute. I talked to some guy that makes some indian drug that is supposed to be like a cleanser and makes you happy. He was such a wierd guy and he lives by Cuzco. He was very rude but then he got over it and was nice after that.

Well so long. I do miss all you but I really havent even thought about home. Nick that ring that you gave me is like the main thing that keeps me going, also all the letters. Thank you Nick and kass and kolt those letters were very helpful and helped me out a lot. And hey Cory thanks for the money and the stuff everyone wrote in that book.

Love,

Elder Christensen

PS ....

I will put some pics on. I love you so much ma. I hope you can miss me back! Be safe and tell dad I love him also and have a good week. The pics are me and Elder Ramirez, the kid from Skyline, he's freaking dope and he's my best bud!

Elder Ramirez and Elder Christensen in Lima Peru